In the News: U.S. soccer coach Bob Bradley fired

For U.S. soccer fans, the scene was tough to watch: arch-rival Mexico celebrating a Gold Cup victory on American soil, cheered on by a largely pro-Mexico crowd at the Rose Bowl.

A little more than a month later, Bob Bradley has been fired as coach of the U.S. men's soccer team.

Bradley led the team to big moments during his tenure, including Landon Donovan's heart-stopping goal to secure a place in the round of 16 at last year's World Cup in South Africa and an unforgettable victory over Spain in 2009.

But to some, the disappointing Gold Cup loss to a Mexico team that seems to be on the upswing was another sign that the U.S. team's progress has stalled under Bradley.

Now, another coach will be given the chance to lead the Americans into another World Cup qualifying cycle beginning next year. The next World Cup is in Brazil in 2014.

With a Mexico rematch looming, an Aug. 10 exhibition in Philadelphia, U.S. Soccer likely will move quickly to select Bradley's replacement. The federation said it will have a "further announcement" today but did not provide details.

The United States has long been linked with a move for Juergen Klinsmann, former coach and player for the German national team.

Pair tied for lead at Publinks

Four-time champion Barry Stafford is tied for the lead after the first round of the Memphis Publinks tournament.

After shooting a 63 at the Links of Galloway on Thursday, Stafford is tied with John Foley.

Defending champion Ed McDugle is tied with Rick Robbins at 65, while Polk McCray and Vaughn Crawford are at 66.

The tournament continues today at Fox Meadows and concludes on Saturday at Audubon.

Bluff City Classic playoffs begin

Will Barton of the University of Memphis and Grizzlies' draft pick Josh Selby each scored 33 points, but their Lakers team lost to the Knicks, 124-117, in the first round of the Bluff City Classic tournament at Southwest Tennessee Community College on Thursday night.

Terrion Moore led the Knicks with 27, Ferrekohn Hall of the U of M added 26 and Wesley Channels had 23.

In the other game, U of M guard Joe Jackson scored 39 to lead the Magic to a 103-99 win over the Bulls. Jackson's UofM teammate Chris Crawford led the Bulls with 35.

Colleges

North Carolina is now looking for a new football coach and athletic director. A day after the school fired Butch Davis amid an NCAA investigation into his program, Dick Baddour said Thursday that he will step down after 14 years running the 28-sport department. In the final year of a three-year contract extension expiring in June, Baddour will stay until the school can hire a replacement because he wants his successor to name the next coach instead of inheriting a hire.

Tennessee men's basketball coach Cuonzo Martin travels to Colorado Springs, Colo., today for the 2011 USA Basketball Men's World University Games national team training camp. He'll be working with 19 of the nation's top Division 1 players who are vying for a chance to make the 12-man roster that will compete at the games in Shenzhen, China, Aug. 13-22. Purdue's Matt Painter will be the head coach for the U.S. squad, while Martin and Butler's Brad Stevens will serve as assistants. The coaching staff selections were made by the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee. Training camp runs through Aug. 7 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

The Big Ten gathered in Chicago to usher in -- and celebrate -- a new era in one of college football's most tradition-rich conferences. The league has a new format, with two divisions and a championship game, and a new powerhouse member in Nebraska to help draw viewers to its already lucrative television network. Michigan and Ohio State are both in flux and that should make for an unusual season in the Big Ten. In fact, Nebraska comes from the Big 12 and immediately becomes one of the favorites to reach the first Big Ten championship game in December at Indianapolis.

Oklahoma admitted Thursday that its men's basketball program committed two major rules violations and asked the NCAA for leniency despite its second serious infractions case in the last five years. Under NCAA bylaws, a "repeat violator" can face a minimum of having the sport dropped for one or two seasons with no scholarships provided for two seasons. The NCAA infractions committee has the authority to override such a designation.

Basketball

Becky Hammon scored 33 points, including a trio of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, to lead the host San Antonio Silver Stars to a 102-91 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday. ... Tamika Catchings scored 16 points and the Indiana Fever beat the host Connecticut Sun, 69-58. ... Sylvia Fowles scored 14 points as the Chicago Sky staved off a second-half rally and handed the host Tulsa Shock their 11th straight loss with a 64-55 victory.

Angel McCoughtry had 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to help the host Atlanta Dream beat the Los Angeles Sparks, 89-80, for their fifth straight victory. ... Kia Vaughn made a go-ahead layup with 54 seconds remaining and the host New York Liberty beat the Washington Mystics, 75-71.

Swimming

Ryan Lochte set the first world record since high-tech body suits were banned in swimming, breaking his own mark in winning the 200-meter individual medley at the world championships in Shanghai. The American finished in 1 minute, 54.00 seconds, topping by one-tenth of a second the mark he set at Rome two years ago when the suits were still allowed. They were banned at the start of 2010. Lochte moved ahead of second-place finisher Michael Phelps after the opening butterfly leg and led after each of the backstroke and breaststroke legs before powering home in the freestyle. Phelps finished in 1:54.16 seconds and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary took bronze in 1:57.69.